Can Miami Dolphins’ Kenyan Drake be a complete, lead NFL running back?

Jay Cutler hands off to Kenyan Drake of the Miami Dolphins during a game against the Oakland Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium last Sunday. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

CHARLOTTE — Kenyan Drake was having dinner with Jay Ajayi in South Florida the other night (no, that’s not a typo, Ajayi has an Eagles bye and was back in town to take care of some business).

And it’s not like Drake needs to pick Ajayi’s brain about how to handle 28 carries in Dolphins game (as Ajayi did in the opener). Because that’s not really the game plan.

But anyway, Dolphins running back Damien Williams hasn’t been feeling very well this week. And so it seems natural to consider that Drake might be dealt a career-high in touches on Monday Night Football against the Panthers.

And it seems natural to wonder if Ajayi had any words of encouragement or advice.

“He’s going to encourage us and support us and we’re going to do the same for him,” Drake said, sitting at his locker in Davie on Saturday. “So it wasn’t anything specific. (Ajayi) didn’t really give any type of motivation or advice on how to do it. He understands that it’s our time to do it. And he expects nothing less.”

Our time to do it, as in Drake, Williams and maybe even Senorise Perry, who could get a few carries on Monday night.

Even though Ajayi was Miami’s team MVP in 2016, it was Drake who led the Dolphins, with 5.4 yards per carry. Even though the departed Ajayi has 465 of the Dolphins’ 621 rushing yards his season, it’s Drake who now leads the club with 4.9 yards per carry.

Drake has matured since his rookie season. He was a bit humbled and has hunkered down in his off-field studies. He’s also embraced his role, including when it was almost exclusively special teams.

But Drake, like all special athletes, has an innate self-confidence. And so he pushes back on the notion he can’t be more than a shifty, speedy, change-of-pace back.

Can Drake, a third-rounder out of Alabama, be a lead back? Can he be a complete inside-outside back?

“I feel like I am that, regardless,” Drake said. “So the perception of other people, is me doing it. So it’s just going out there and playing the game I know how to play. People can say what they want to say, I’m just going to play my best football.”

Drake had a 42-yard run against the Raiders (twice as long as any of Ajayi’s 138 attempts for Miami this season) but also demonstrated his wares on a tough inside run, breaking tackles and showing he’s stronger than it may appear.

Kenyan Drake first significant playing time thread starts here. Really shined in the run and pass game. Start with the big one. Runs to daylight and finished, awesome design with the play side pull and great trap block by Fasano. pic.twitter.com/GxxTGJCGec

Christensen notes that as Drake’s workload increases, he’ll face some of the challenges Ajayi did last season.

“To get hit and get tattooed like they tattoo you in this league for week after week after week after week,” Christensen said. “It’s a violent position, practicing when you’re sore… You have to learn how to function when everything is not right.”

Davis is in perfect shape to wash Bowman out of this play. Would’ve put Drake 1v1 with the S for a House call. He still slips the tackle and makes yards. pic.twitter.com/FivkEVc3SW

Drake will need to prove he can stay healthy, prove he can be trusted to protect the football (an untimely fumble against the Raiders was a key moment in Miami’s loss) and prove he can be a consistent blocker. Miami coach Adam Gase says Drake, who he called out last season, has stepped up his preparations.

“I think he has got our confidence,” Gase said. A majority of the things he did this last game is what we’re looking for. I’d like for him to hold onto the ball. We’ve just got to keep improving on all of the things he has never seen before, whether it be third down stuff, a lot of the different looks and coverages when we release him on routes. He’s going to be learning through the rest of the season. I think he has just got to stay on the track he’s on right now.”

Gase says it’s one thing to know what to do and another to react to what the defense does. Monday night is an extraordinary challenge, with Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis patrolling the defense at Bank of America Stadium.

“They’re veterans,” Drake said. “Very savvy defenders. Kuechly is like a brainiac. He pretty much controls the entire defense. And pretty much tells everybody what to do and how to do it and when to do it. And then he’ll also dissect the plays that the offense is running. It’s about making his second guess himself. At the end of the day, though, if he knows it we don’t really care if he knows it. We have to play our scheme.”

It will be fascinating to see how Gase attacks the Panthers number one-ranked defense. It would seem Gase would want to get the ball downfield to DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills and hit Jarvis Landry and Kenyan Drake on shorter routes.

But how much time will Jay Cutler have with new starters at left guard (Ted Larsen) and right tackle (Jesse Davis)? With Ajayi gone, and Drake and Williams in a more prominent role, one thing Gase can do is be a bit more unpredictable.

Drake feels he’s ready to handle the increased responsibility.

“I’m very confident,” Drake said. “I’ve prepared myself day in and day out, not just from a practice standpoint, and knowing my plays, but from a physical standpoint. Taking care of my body. I have to be a professional on and off the field and that includes taking care of my body. Understanding my responsibilities and taking advantage of them. If it’s 10 carries or special teams, I’m prepared to be the best player I can be.”

[…] Can Kenyan Drake be a complete, every-down, lead running back in this league? Post colleague Joe Schad asked that very question in a story a few weeks ago. And it looks like we’ll finally get a chance to find out Sunday against the Broncos. […]